The invention concerns a building block for construction of masonry as well as a masonry structure consisting essentially of a plurality of building blocks disposed next to and above and below each other.
Masonry walls have been made for some time from a plurality of normally cuboid shaped building blocks disposed in a plurality of layers one above the other and connected to each other via intermediate layers of hardened mortar or laid down dry. The stability of a wall made in this manner is determined to a great extent by the mortar layer, which forms the weakest link in the transfer of forces from building block to building block. With masonry of this kind which is laid down dry, the horizontal transfer of forces is highly limited by mechanical friction between the building blocks.
Toothed building blocks have been conventionally used in order to improve the force transfer between neighboring building blocks of a layer of stones. DE 92 06 838 U1 thereby proposes a building block configuration comprising two differently sized hexagonal stone components disposed one behind the other in a layer of stones, which are connected to each other by means of a brace. The opposing disposition of the stone members leads to the formation of undercuts by means of which a building block can engage the corresponding neighboring building block of a layer of stones. In this manner, forces acting at right angles to the surface of a wall built from such building blocks can be transferred to the respective neighboring building blocks to thereby improve force transfer. Although masonry or walls built from such building blocks can be more stable than walls made from conventional cuboid building blocks, this structure has the associated disadvantage that a horizontal force transfer can only be effected in one axis direction of the wall and only in one respective layer of stones.
It is thereby the underlying purpose of the invention to create a building block of the above mentioned kind which guarantees an improved force transfer to neighboring building blocks. In addition, a masonry structure made from such building blocks should be created having high stability which preferably has the appearance of a single layer masonry structure made from cuboid blocks.
This purpose is achieved with respect to the building block in that the building block comprises at least two stone members disposed one above the other and firmly connected to each other, each of which has one end having a wide section and an opposite end having a narrow section, wherein the sections map into each other via an intermediate section and wherein the stone members are disposed relative to each other in such a manner that, in each case, the wide section of an upwardly disposed stone member seats on the narrow section of the respective stone member lying beneath same and the narrow section of the upper stone member seats on the wide section of the stone member lying beneath same.
The narrow section of each stone member forms a inwardly displaced shoulder relative to the wide section of the respective stone member, which, when used in a wall, engages with corresponding surfaces of the wide section of the neighboring building block. However, the simple structure of such a shoulder allows transfer of forces acting perpendicularly to the surface of the wall in one direction only. This effect is compensated for in accordance with the invention in that the stone members lying one above the other are each disposed with opposite orientations so that each stone member has differing force transfer functions in dependence on whether or not the force being transferred is exercised on the front or rear surface of the wall.
Since the stone members, disposed one above the other and firmly connected to each other, are disposed in a wall in stone layers or in partial stone layers, lying one above the other, the firm connection between the stone members also allows for force transfer between stacked layers.
A particularly simple geometric configuration can be effected when stone members having identical shape are used so that they can be manufactured economically. The stone members can thereby either be manufactured separately and be subsequently joined together into the building block or, alternatively, the building block can be made as a monolithic, single piece body.
The two stone components are preferentially rotated relative to each other through 180xc2x0 about a vertical middle axis.
In a prereferred embodiment, the stone members have a substantially constant height i.e. have a smooth upper and lower side. This is particularly advantageous from a manufacturing point of view when the stone members are molded from concrete.
A particularly simple geometric form is effected when the wide and/or narrow section of the stone member is cuboid in shape and when the intermediate section has the shape of a truncated pyramid, wherein the base surface of the truncated pyramid corresponds to the cross sectional surface of the wider section and the surface area of the truncated side of the pyramid corresponds to the cross sectional surface of the narrower section.
Good force transfer to the stone members of neighboring building blocks can be effected when the slanting side surfaces of the intermediate section forming the transitional region between the side surfaces of the wide and the narrow sections are angled in a range between 30xc2x0 to 60xc2x0 and preferably by about 45xc2x0, relative to the adjacent side surfaces of the wide and narrow sections.
The building block in accordance with the invention can be worked in a simple manner when end surfaces of the stone members lying one above the other and forming a portion of the wall surface substantially lie in a vertical plane and preferably, in addition, when the side surfaces of the wide sections of the stone members extending substantially perpendicularly with respect to the surface of the wall substantially lie in a vertical plane.
For reasons of appearance, it is preferred when a feigned joint is formed between stone members disposes one above the other in the region of the visible surface.
The subsequent description is based on a building block having two stone members stacked one above the other. The advantages in accordance with the invention are however also effected using building blocks having three or more stacked stone members.
With respect to the masonry structure or the wall, the above mentioned purpose is achieved in that a plurality of building blocks in accordance with the invention are disposed next to and above and below each other, wherein neighboring building blocks are disposed relative to each other in such a manner that a wide section of a stone member of a building block lies next to a narrow section of a stone member of a neighboring building block. In this manner, very good force transfer is effected for forces exercised at right angles to the surface of the wall. Force transfer between neighboring building blocks is preferably achieved when adjacent stone members of neighboring building blocks seat on each other via their mutually facing side surfaces and via the intermediately disposed slanting surfaces of the intermediate member.
The building blocks in accordance with the invention can be disposed in such a manner that they are rotated through 1800 about a vertical axis, in particular about the vertical middle axis. The building blocks seating next to each other thereby simultaneously form two layers of stone. However, in a preferred particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, neighboring building blocks are vertically displaced with respect to each other by one partial stone layer such that the upper stone member of a building block lies next to a lower stone member of a neighboring building block. In this manner, a combed interconnection is also effected between stone layers disposed one above the other to thereby transfer external forces not only between sidewardly adjacent building blocks but also between building blocks lying above and below.